Hunger Games Galaxies: District 11
by War292004
Summary: The eleventh district of the Hunger Games Galaxies, featuring characters from Glee. May the odds be ever in your favorite characters' favor. Part 11/13
1. Chapter 1

**The Hunger Games Galaxies: District 11**

McKinley High School had lost the lottery in so many ways. First, it was their country who was picked in the Initial Reaping. Then came the state. Then the county. Then the town. Then the district. Somehow, Lima City Schools drew the shortest end of all of the sticks in the world, and would be entered into the Reaping for the Hunger Games. That meant, out of the small school district, one boy and one girl would be sent to the slaughter in the arena, because District 11 hadn't had a victor in a generation

"I just don't know if I could handle it if either of you got sent into the arena, that's all I'm saying," said Rachel Berry, talking very quickly to Kurt and Blaine. "I mean who would I have to compare the newest Broadway hits with or obsess over my idol Barbara Streisand oh my God, but if I got picked do you think she'd come see me you know as a charity thing to root me on and send me too my death?"

"Rachel. Relax," said Kurt. "The odds of any of the Glee club getting picked are incredibly low. We've got 1500 people at this school alone, not to mention the other high school and the plethora of middle, junior high, and elementary schools. And Dalton.  
"Don't remind me," said Blaine, rolling his eyes. "Who'd've thought that the private schools would be included in this ridiculous ritual."

"Maybe Sebastian will get chosen," said Kurt, mumbling.

"Not cool," replied Blaine, stalking off.

"Porcelain!" came a snarl from down the hallway.

For a High Priestess, Sue Sylvester certainly didn't look the part. Sure she had a robe… made out of an old sweatsuit, of course. As she marched down the hall, trailed as always by her right-hand woman Becky, everyone skirted around her and out of the way. In some bizarre way, she was more frightening than the handful of Peacekeepers they had patrolling the halls of the school already.

"What do you want, Coach Sylvester?" asked Kurt.

"I just wanted to confirm: do you want your name placed in the girls' pool, the boys' pool, or both?" she asked. "After the debacle that was prom last year, I just need to be certain.

"Coach Sylvester, that is incredibly sexist of you and I fail to see how you can find any humor in this day at all," said Rachel, standing in front of Kurt.

"Now don't get your sweaters all in a bunch, Jewish Celine Dion, I'm just trying to set the record straight… after all, it will be me pulling the names of students from those huge orbs on stage in a few hours," replied Sue.

"Oh God…" replied the other two, horrified.

"Ah, don't look so scared," said Sue, smiling… or grimacing… whichever… "Much as your singing constantly creates ulcers in the lining of my G.I. tract, I wouldn't be petty enough to send any of you to the death for it."

"You're a good woman, Coach," said Kurt, flatly.

"Thank you," she said, turning and walking away with her tracksuit robe flowing out behind her. As she turned the corner, she nearly collided with Santana, Brittney, and Mercedes, who were quietly discussing who they thought would have a good shot at winning the Hunger Games, if they were picked.

"Well… much as I'd hate to see it, most of the meatheads in this place would have a huge up on most of us…" said Mercedes.

"And then there's Jacob Ben Israel," said Santana, as they watched the AV Geek hurtle after some students, begging for quotes on their thoughts on the Reaping. "If he's the guy they pick, he won't last more than 30 seconds."

"I think Coach Beiste is going to win the Hungry Games," said Brittany. "She'll just eat the other competitors."

"Even with the relaxed age rules, I doubt Coach Beiste will qualify for the games," said Mercedes. "But then… Coach Roz would probably just sneer her enemies to death…"

The girls' conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Finn.

"Hey! Mr. Schue wants us all to have a meeting in the choir room right after school, but before the Reaping," said Finn.

"One last big family reunion before we send some of our classmates off to the grinder?" said Santana, sarcastically.

"Santana… no… forget it, now's not the time," Finn said. "Just be there, all right?"

"We'll pass on the message, Finn," said Mercedes. "I'm gonna go find Sam and make sure he knows what's going on."

"We'll tell Quinn," said Santana, grabbing Brittany by the shoulders and dragging her in the opposite direction.

Finn continued up the hall and met up with Rachel and Kurt, who were still in deep, terrified discussion about the events later in the day. Finn's arrival broke the tension when he and Rachel shared a 10-second-long kiss. After eight seconds of it, Kurt checked his watch and wandered away to find Blaine.

"Are you ready for today?" asked Finn.

"No, of course I'm not… to think that someone's life could be snuffed out for this… barbaric show to these so-called merciful Game Gods…" Rachel said, her voice shaking with fury.

"I know, I know," said Finn. "But we have to be positive… Schue wants us to perform a tribute song for whichever tributes get picked, as a send-off…"

"But what if it's one of us, Finn? Or… or both of us? I mean, not like you or me because even the Gods know that my destiny lies not in this bloodbath but in battle on the Broadway stage… but… but…" Rachel said, almost immediately launching herself into hyperventilation again.

"I said relax!" Finn said, hugging her. "We're going to be fine."

In the choir room, several of the members had simply skipped their afternoon homerooms and gone there early. Puck, Artie, Mike, Tina, and new-comers Rory, Joe, and Sugar all sat in a group, quietly discussing the afternoon to come.

"If I'd stayed in Ireland, I wouldn't even be having to deal with this," Rory muttered, as Sugar sat on his lap and stroked his hair.

"And if I'd stayed home schooled, maybe I would have spared my mom this worry…" added Joe.

"No, the home schooled kids are here, too," said Artie.

"Yeah," added Mike. "They're the horrified-looking ones standing in the cafeteria right now."

"Probably 'cuz they've already got my number… or their Mom's do," said Puck, leaning back lazily in his chair. "I figure they'll need some consolation if and when one of their precious children are Reaped…"

"That's really not funny, Puck," said Tina, who seemed to be permanently stuck in wide-eyed terror. "It could be any of us… even you…"

"And if it is, I'll kill anyone who gets in my way," said Puck. "Who gives a shit if they're from another world? I'll crush them all."

"All right, everyone," came the voice of their leader, as he came in with most of the missing members of New Directions. "Since nobody actually wants to go to homeroom anyway…"

"I don't even know where that is," said Brittany, raising her hands. "… actually, sometimes I forget where my home in general is…"

"… you… you really can't be reaped," said Kurt. "You'll get lost on your way to the arena."

"Kurt, please, no more talk about anyone from New Directions getting chosen, please," said Mr. Schue. "Just as soon as the others get here…"

"We're here, Mr. Schue," said Quinn, as she entered with Mercedes, Sam, and Santana. "We just had to escape Hall Monitor Washington and her game of sixty questions…"

"All right, gang," said their teacher. "I won't pull any punches. Today is not a happy day. Still, Figgins wants us to perform after the ceremony, when we send off the two tributes from District Ten."

"I still think it's messed up that we're singing for the people who are going into the goddamn Hunger Games arena…" said Sam, shaking his head. "What does that say about us?"

"The idea was actually really well-received by the Gods, according to Figgins who heard it from the Heaven Liaisons," said Will. "But it's going to be a simple, solemn rendition of two or three songs… so… I figured we should start coming up with ideas."

"What about 'Keep Holding On?'" suggested Mercedes. "It's got a message of support and strength and overcoming obstacles."

"But what about the part where they say 'there's nothing you can say/nothing you can do' and all of that?" asked Artie. "Seems to paint a pretty bleak picture."

"Realistic, though," said Quinn. "What can we do or say against the Gods?"

"Okay, it's on the short list," said Mr. Schue, trying to keep it moving. "Any other thoughts?"

"What about… 'For Good?'" suggested Rachel. "I know it's typically a duet, but we can probably figure something out… Kurt and I sang it in New York, and it's really the perfect number for this…"

"True… it's all about saying good-bye to someone who changed you, for better or for worse," said Kurt. "That should cover whomever gets elected, whether we love them or hate them…"

"I'm a big fan of Here's to Us," said Puck. "Especially that part where we go 'tell em go FUCK THEMSELVES' and flip a double bird to the cameras and all those other bastards in the other Districts and the Heavenly realms…"

"That… that really doesn't seem safe…" said Tina.

"What about 'We Are Young?'" suggested Sugar. "It's all like… 'let's set the world on fire!' and other rebellious phrases of fighting spirit."

"But this is a send-off, so we should have an element of farewell in there, too," said Rachel. "Otherwise, the message won't be appropriate."

"Question: is there a reason we're only focusing on songs we've already done? What about something new and unexpected?" suggested Mercedes.

"Well we don't have enough time for Berry to get all her solos perfected, so that won't fly," said Santana.

"Okay, this is going nowhere fast," said Will, rubbing his face in his hands. "Let's just… take a break and figure this out later…"

Unfortunately, they never got a chance to, because they were soon called to the large gymnasium for the Reaping. Family was allowed to come, but they were kept separate in the auditorium, where they could watch the Reaping on the big screen. As the students from all over Lima filed in, they saw the blazer-clad guys from Dalton sitting a bit away from them.

"I was wondering where Blaine went," said Finn, as they took their seats in the stands.

"Yeah, he wanted to go say hi to his former classmates, just in case," said Kurt. "I was gonna go too once we finished our business in the choir room, but, obviously that didn't happen…"

He went to the far side of the bleachers to speak with them, before the Peacekeepers came in and he scurried back to the New Directions. Once the white-clad men and women were situated around the entire gymnasium, the bowls with the names of all the students ripe for the Reaping were brought forward. It was stifling in the huge room, with virtually no air conditioning. Down front, they could see some of the elementary students, usually too young for the Reaping, already weeping.

"Hello, students," said Principal Figgins. "Welcome to this year's Hunger Games, the Reaping of District 10. Today it is my honor to present to you… our very own High Priestess Sue Sylvester."

A smattering of unfelt, lukewarm applause rang out through the room as Sue swept forward. She surveyed them imperiously, soaking up the attention and setting the mood before she began to speak.

"When I was a young woman, I sat where you all have sat before, awaiting your names to be called for this glorious event that honors the Gods who are kind enough to let us live under their thumb. As literally the only High Priestess in the entire tri-state area, it is my duty to select the tributes from our fine district… which I shall do… now."

She marched over to the bowl, dug her hand in the mess of papers for a good whole minute before she finally selected one and returned to the stage. She lifted the paper dramatically up in front of her and opened it.

"Our first tribute… oh… Jesus…" she muttered. "… Quinn Fabray."

At first their was silence… and then all of McKinley began to let out horrified shouts, curses, and sobs. Quinn sat there, dumbfounded for several minutes. Joe looked like he'd seen a ghost. It wasn't until the Peacekeepers started making their way through the path of angry students that she finally came to her senses and stood up, shakily, and worked her way down the steps to the gym floor.

"She just got out of a wheelchair a few months ago, you bastards!" snarled Santana. "Who do you think you are?"  
"Santana, let it go…" said Finn, grabbing ahold of her arm. "That'll be good, because the sponsors will love her fighting spirit."

"But… still… why Quinn…" muttered Rachel, tears glistening in her eyes. "I can't… this isn't happening… I just refuse to believe it. I'm going to wake up in my room with Broadway's finest smiling down at me from above on my ceiling where they always are… and… and it's not going to…"

She trailed off, and buried her face into Finn's shoulder. They watched as Quinn took her spot next to Sue, showing very little emotion on her face, other than an indifferent sort of smile. Sue seemed to struggle with herself, as if she wanted to say something to the cheerleader, but then she abruptly turned and headed to the other bowl without so much as a word. She picked up a name and went back to the microphone, hesitating a bit before she opened it.

Kurt looked over to where Blaine was still sitting with the Warblers. Their eyes met, and the all-boys academy tightened their grip on each other. Kurt couldn't bear the thought of any of them going, especially not Blaine. But… what if another McKinley guy went… worse, someone in New Directions…

Sue stared at the name, her face a mask of pure shock and anger. After a few seconds, without any of the usual pomp and circumstance that usually accompanied her speeches, she merely read the name: "Noah Puckerman."

A fresh wave of fury went through the students of McKinley, who began to shout obscenities at the Peacekeepers and the Gods in general. It was quickly becoming quite the spectacle. But the cameras did an expert job of avoiding the near-rioting students, instead focusing on the relief of Dalton and the still-scared faces of the elementary students. Puck extracted himself from the building cloud of violence and worked his way to the stage, ignoring the steps and merely climbing up the front.

"I present to you this year's tributes…" Sue said in a hollow voice.

Quinn and Puck stepped forward, standing towards the end of the stage, as the chaos continued down in the crowd. They glanced at each other, and Puck wrapped his arm around Quinn's thin shoulders. She followed suit, and they raised their other hands, fists clenched, up into the sky, glaring into the cameras and steeling themselves for the difficult goodbyes they'd have to go through soon.

**Author's Notes:**

**Short explanation time on how this whole ordeal is going to work!**

**The games themselves are still in progress, so for now I'm only doing the intro stuff. All events that take place in the Districts will be in their appropriately-titled stories in the proper crossover section. Once that's all taken care of and it collapses into one story, I'll put the title at the end of each District Introduction Section (or just click on my author name to find it yourself). **

**The entire story is being decided solely on a complicated series of dice rolls, to prevent bias on my part and to make it so even I have no idea how this is going to end or who is going to win. **

**Let me be clear: this is not going to be an "everyone bands together and fights the evil powers and they all survive" story. As of writing this paragraph, twenty tributes are dead. So if you see your favorite character selected… well, don't get mad if they don't make it through.**

**That's all for now. May the odds be ever in your (favorite characters') favor.**

**ALSO: Starting from here-on, I've put the schedule of updates on my profile, so you can know when the next installments of my stories are coming out. It's not going to be perfect due to my job, so I might miss a few deadlines here and there, but, overall, it's a good indicator of when you can expect things to be out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Hunger Games Galaxies**

**District 11 Introduction: Part 2**

The television monitor over the stage gave away from the symbol of the Gods, fading into a static picture of the universe around them. The chaos in the stands began to die down fairly quickly after that appeared and for good reason; the Voice of the Gods was about to speak to them. On stage, Quinn and Puck turned to stare at the screen, as did the still-ashen-faced Sue.

"Citizens of the Twelve Districts…" said the Voice. "Welcome to the Reaping. As you send your courageous Tributes off to the field of battle, keep in your hearts the hope for them to return victorious! It is only with your encouragement and prayers that they may have an edge in battle!"

"Yeah, right," Blaine muttered, darkly to Kurt, who worked his way to sit next to him and the other Warblers during the hysteria around Puck and Quinn's Reaping. "Like we can affect anything that happens in the arena."

"I know… thank God humans can't be sponsors anymore; District 1 would always wipe the floor with us," Kurt muttered. "… you think their tributes will be good-looking this year?"

"_That_ is your current concern?" Blaine said, eyes widened.

"I'm sorry," replied Kurt, tears welling up in his eyes. "It's just… if I don't distract myself… I think I'm going to have a panic attack…"

Blaine quietly wrapped his arm around his boyfriend, patting him on the shoulder as Kurt did his best to hold his composure. The Voice of the Gods continued to speak, reminding them of the glory that comes along with their being chosen for the Hunger Games. Further down the bleachers, the rest of the New Directions were still reeling from Quinn and Puck being chosen. Tina wept into Mike's shoulder, while Santana and Brittany rocked back and forth with their arms interlocked. Rachel was having trouble breathing and Finn was doing his best to calm her down.

The Voice of the Gods continued to speak about rule changes. "You've already experienced the first: the relaxation of the age restrictions. But, this is only the beginning. Another is that we will not be permitting any Gods to act as sponsors; the tributes will be on their own…"

"What? But… that means Quinn won't get anything in the arena from any of the Gods or anything?" Joe exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror.

"That's not fair," protested Sugar. "What happens when she goes against those guys from the magical districts?! They'll blow her away!"

"Well… all powers are sealed to a basic setting of sorts," Artie reminded her. "But… yeah… without the Gods' help…"

Ignorant to the teens' complaints, the Voice continued right along. "Each year, the 24 tributes provide ample opportunity for not only the Gods but all of you in the Districts to observe each other in a cultural exchange of sorts… but we were wondering… how could we make this exchange even stronger and more varied…?"

"To be fair, he did pick probably the strongest guy from New Directions," Sam said.

"Yeah I think if anyone from this school was ready to fight, it was him," Rory agreed. "Still though… too close for comfort…"

"Wait a minute…" Mercedes suddenly realized, her eyes widening in horror. "They're not going to pick more tributes…?"

"And therefore, the Gods have decreed that, from each District, we shall Reap a second group of tributes, ensuring this year's Hunger Games provides even more entertainment than the last!" cried the Voice.

Screams and cries of horror ran through the audience, while some students actually stood back up to protest. The Peacekeepers' reaction was swift and strong. They immediately started to physically restrain the most problematic students, which deterred the lesser ones from continuing to show such open displays of hostility. Almost everyone in the New Directions had been struck absolutely dumb by the whole thing. On stage, everyone's face was likewise a mask of unadulterated surprise.

"I… would… suppose that's my cue to… do the second half of the Reaping…" Sue said, walking slowly over to the bowl. She dug around inside for a few seconds and pulled out a name, returning to the central microphone. "Okay… then… our second female tribute is… oh you've got to be kidding me. Really? Her? Can't we take someone else, anyone else at all…? … fine. Tina Cohen-Chang."

The shock was too great for most of New Directions; Rachel actually fainted briefly. Tina, meanwhile, had gone catatonic, her tear-stained face paler than they'd ever seen it and her eyes slightly out of focus. Mike quickly wrapped his arms around her and began to whisper something into her ear. But they didn't have long; Peacekeepers were already making their way up the bleachers to retrieve her, knocking Jacob Ben Israel completely out of his seat when he foolishly attempted to get his own video of one.

"I'll take her, I'll take her," Mike said, fending off the outstretched, gloved arms of the nearest heavenly soldiers. "Come on Tina… you've gotta… gotta stand…"

Mike supported Tina all the way through the sea of furious McKinley students until they reached the bottom of the stage. Then she was pulled out of his arms, which seemed to snap her out of her stupor. She screamed for Mike as he was restrained by two other Peacekeepers and led back to his seat. Back in the stands, almost everyone from New Directions was fighting back tears, or openly sobbing.

"Tina, please, you've gotta control yourself," Sue urged her under her breath as she walked towards the boys' names. "You're going to paint a target on your back like this."

But it was no use. Tina's knees had given out and she could barely stand on her own on the stage, supported by Puck and Quinn the entire time. Meanwhile, Sue picked up the second paper, hesitated, and returned to the microphone. She opened the paper and her face contorted with rage again. She whirled around to shoot a venomous look at the Head Peacekeeper, who merely shook his head at her and make a turn-around motion with his finger. Sue hissed at him, turned to the microphone and simply uttered one name.

"Sam Evans."

Like clockwork, the entirety of McKinley High was on its feet and shouting and swearing at the cameras, flipping off the Gods above them and about how unfair it was that everyone just happened to come from the same school. The elementary kids were alarmed by this, and nearly all of them burst into tears, while the other schools inched away from McKinley, trying to separate themselves from the violence.

For his part, Sam was pretty calm about it. He stepped calmly off the bleachers and began the trek to the stage. Behind him, Mercedes joined the group of sobbing girls and guys who were watching four of their friends head to the arena. Sam took over supporting Tina from Quinn, and the four continued to face their classmates and the world as they waited for things to die down enough for the Voice of the Gods to close out the ceremony. Behind them, Sue looked almost as weak as Tina.

"Will… you have to hold it together for them," said Emma, from the teacher's section. But her hands were shaking just as bad. Directly behind her, Coach Beiste let out a loud sob and blew her nose on a spare t-shirt.

"But… Emma… you know this works…" Will muttered, hoarsely. "Only one… can win the Hunger Games… so… three of them at least will die…"

Nobody wanted to think that and, luckily, the shock seemed to have knocked that thought completely out of the heads of the remainder of New Directions. Finally, once several students got removed from the auditorium, the Voice spoke up again.

"This shall be my final announcement. To each of our Districts… and to our viewing entities… there is one additional rule change to this year's Hunger Games. If the last 2, 3, or 4 tributes are from the same district, they shall be declared the victor, and the Games will end."

Gasps, followed quickly by cheers, shot through the gymnasium. Up in front, Puck grinned, Sam's eyes grew wide, Quinn's mouth was agape, and Tina actually managed to stop crying for a few seconds. Even Sue breathed a sigh of relief. All hope may not have been lost yet.

"So… so all they have to do is stay together and they'll win," Rachel croaked from the stands a little later as they were dismissed. "Right…? Puck and Sam can keep Quinn and Tina safe and everything will be fine, right?"

"Let's hope so…" Finn said. "Let's go see them."

Sam, Tina, Quinn, and Puck had all been taken into separate classrooms to await their family members and to say goodbye to their friends. While they said farewells to their devastated parents and siblings, the rest of the New Directions waited in the general gathering area, in silence, save for the occasional stifled sob. When Tina's parents, escorted by Mike's, left the hallway, they were finally granted access.

"Since there's so many of you," informed a gruff peacekeeper. "We're just going to bring them all out here. You can say your goodbyes that way."

"Really?" snapped Roz Washington, who had strong-armed her way into the area. "And just what about Asian Horror Movie and her lover? Shouldn't they get some privacy to say goodbye to each other? And what about Little Oprah and that Sam Evans?"

Behind her back, Roz made a waving signal at everyone. The New Directions and Will picked up what she was putting down and immediately headed into the door, as Roz's shrill insults and indignant complaints echoed around them.

"That was really brave of Coach Roz to do," Mercedes said.

"Yeah. I bet she would have won if she'd been Reaped back in the day," said Sugar.

"Okay guys… let's just… be as positive as possible," Will said. "Just… make sure nothing is left unsaid, okay?"

They turned the corner and found the four waiting for them. Quinn explained that she had heard Roz's shouts from even that distance and brought the others out to meet them all. Thankfully, no Peacekeepers were watching the inner area. One-by-one, everyone started to say their goodbyes.

"Tina… you have to make it through," Rachel whispered, hugging her. "Remember… next year is your time to shine… and now with your fame as a Hunger Games victor, you're going to have an easier time becoming a star than me!"

"Don't kid yourself, Rachel," Tina muttered. "I… I'm not cut out for this… I doubt I'll even survive the bloodbath…"

"No, Tina, don't think like that!" Kurt exclaimed, after sharing a curt handshake with Puck. "You can survive. You're smart and resourceful. Remember that football game, where you were the one who took the initiative and took the ball!"

"Yeah… and almost got paralyzed for my trouble…" Tina replied.

"Just keep those thoughts in your head. Grab something. A weapon. Food. Whatever it is. And run," said Rachel. "And… come back to us. You have to."

Across hall area, Sam continued to say his goodbyes to his teammates. Finn sided up next to him and the two sat against the wall, slowly sliding down until they were sitting on the ground.

"How are you holding up?" asked Finn, quietly.

"As well as can be expected," replied Sam, pulling on a hole in the knee of his pants. "But… at least my 'rents will be taken care of… did you know the families of the Reaped get a stipend for the remainder of their lives? I mean, yeah, if I win we get riches too… but… if for some reason I don't…"

"No, dude, look, you and Puck are strong dudes. If anyone can win the Hunger Games with a team effort, it's you guys," said Finn. "You just gotta find each other and stay together."

"I know I know," said Sam. "But I'm just saying… no matter what happens, no matter where I go in there, I'm at peace with my family. Sad, yeah, and of course Mercedes is taking it tough... but I'll be okay on my end."

Mercedes, they could see, was hugging Quinn and whispering some prayer or hymn in her ear to keep her spirits up. Joe sat against the far wall, waiting for his chance to speak privately with Quinn, as the other members of New Directions continued to revolve to each person, saying their final goodbyes. Finally, Will got his chance to speak with Puck.

"Mr. Schue!" exclaimed Puck, ignoring Will's outstretched hand and instead giving him a rib-crushing hug. "You gotta hold down the fort back here now that I'm gone."

"Haha yeah…" Will said, vaguely. "I'll do that. Are you all right?"

"Yeah man… I mean, as all right as I can be…" said Puck, trailing off. "But… I don't know… there is something that bothers me…"

"What?" asked Will.

"Well like… I can see myself getting picked. I've got a fighting chance; I know I can kick ass and take names when I need to," said Puck. "But everyone else… I just don't get it. Why them? Quinn is tough, too, but she's still not back to 100% after her accident. And Sam's very athletic and all, but his family is suffering enough. They can't afford to lose him. And Tina… Jesus, why did Tina get picked…?"

"Well… it's always random…" Will muttered. "But… I agree, it's ridiculous that all of our tributes were from New Directions…"

"Yeah, but that's not what I mean," said Puck. "Quinn… she's going to Harvard! Sam's got a family to support. Tina's gonna have to fill Rachel's shoes next year… but I mean… they've all got plans and stuff. They can't go to the arena… but, even then, they've got a reason to fight. They're not like me; I've got nothing else going for me so this makes sense that I'd go in…"

"Puck, no. Stop right there," Will hissed, turning him away from the others and speaking in a low voice. "That is not true and you know it. You aren't the hopeless guy you pretend to be. I know things are rough and you've had some trouble in the past, but this is not a punishment and you do not deserve this."

"I know, I got my pool business and I mean I had plans for that too," said Puck. "And yeah my ma's gonna be really worried about me in there… but my old man didn't even come around and let's face it I was on my way to being just like him…"

"Puck, I forbid you to say anything else negative about yourself," said Will. "I mean it. If you so much as utter one self-depreciating word in the next two hours…"

"What? You gonna 'expel me,'" Puck asked, grinning sarcastically. "Fine, fine. I won't be like that then, happy? Besides… just think of how many chicks I'm gonna get to bang when I get back… the victor of the Hunger Games; ain't gonna be no guy more manlier than me."

"That's… the spirit, I guess!" said Will, chuckling. "Good luck, Puck."

It seemed as if Roz's tactics weren't going to hold up much longer, because Sue came in next and gave them the heads-up that they were calling in three additional Peacekeepers to restrain her. Most of the New Directions began to leave the area, while Mike and Tina went into one of the classrooms for a few minutes of privacy, as did Sam and Mercedes. As will turned to head down the hallway, he almost ran directly into Shelby Corcoran.

"Shelby…? What are you doing here…?" asked Will.

"Oh… I just wanted… well… I wanted Beth to see her birth parents one more time before the arena…" said Shelby, quietly.

"Ah… right… well, I'm going to be outside trying to help get Roz out of her sticky situation. If you need me," said Will, beginning to walk away.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry!" Shelby called after him. "They had six guys and two women down when I was out there; Roz is really giving it to 'em."

Shelby turned the corner and saw Quinn and Puck talking quietly to each other, serious looks on their faces. They turned as they heard Shelby's footsteps. The young mother smiled sadly as she walked in, with her adopted daughter still cradled in her arms. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

"So… I guess you've heard the news…" Puck said.

"I have," said Shelby.

"Why'd you bring her here?" asked Quinn, quietly. "Surely you knew the danger…"

"Well… originally it was just me," Shelby admitted. "Beth was at a daycare nearby… but when I heard your names called, I knew I couldn't let her miss seeing you… you know, before you go in…"

Beth was getting bigger. It had been a couple of weeks since Quinn and Puck had last seen here, due to preparations for the Reaping and their busy work schedules. Beth yawned widely and began to fidget; she was waking up from her nap. Shelby handed her to Puck and he held the baby out for Quinn. Their baby. They hadn't even considered her in all of this. What if they didn't come back? Would Beth ever remember them?

"She's got your eyes, Quinn," said Shelby. "And Puck she's got your… sense of adventure."

Puck chuckled and Quinn smiled sadly. Tears clouded her vision momentarily and she wiped them away, sniffing. Puck seemed to be trying to keep his emotions in check, too. After a few more minutes of silence, they heard a door open in the distance. Time was up and the Peacekeepers were on their way in.

"Here… you should go…" said Quinn, her voice cracking. "I don't want… them to hurt you or Beth for being here too long."

"R…right… well… I just wanted her to see you again," said Shelby.

"Just promise us one thing," said Puck. "If we don't make it back… don't ever let Beth see the replays of this year's Games. You don't even have to tell her about us if you don't want to."

"No. She'll know that, for sure," replied Shelby, as she took the sleeping baby back into her arms. "I'll make sure she knows just how brave her birthparents were. But… you know… when you come back, you can tell her that yourself."

It was her turn to have a voice crack, right when she got to the "come back." This made Beth stir even more and, as the marching of the Peacekeepers got closer, she turned and left. Just before she turned the corner, Beth opened her eyes, blinked, and gave a little wave at Quinn and Puck, who waved back just before Shelby turned the corner and the Peacekeepers came to collect them.

"Well… I guess I already lied once today," said Puck.

"Howso?" asked Quinn.

"I said I had no reason to fight," said Puck. "But… now I do."

"Yeah," said Quinn. "For Beth's sake… we have to come back."

Once Sue came with the Peacekeepers to collect her charges, she led them through the school. The halls were deserted and silent. Obviously the Peacekeepers were keeping them as far separated from everyone else as they could.

"When we get outside, don't answer any questions they may ask you," said Sue. "The Representatives of the Gods will answer those questions. And if you see that Jewish kid, punch him in the face."

"Will-do, Coach," said Quinn. "And… don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault."

Sue turned her head to quickly glance at Quinn. For the briefest moment, there was shock on her face, which turned to a quick smile, and then to a grimace as she turned back to fling the doors of the school wide open. A wall of Peacekeepers kept the shouting and screaming crowd restrained as they walked quickly for the limo waiting for them. Just as they were about to climb in, the sound of microphone feedback made them spin around.

"Um… if… we could have everyone's attention, just real quick…" said Finn.

The New Directions were standing on a small, raised platform near the front of the school. The cameras were trained on them and everyone was dressed up in full stage make-up. It was amazing they'd had time to put it on between their goodbyes and now. But nobody looked happy, even Brittany. There was an awkward silence as everyone adjusted to get a better view of them. And then Finn continued to speak.

"When we found out we were picked for District 11's Reaping," Finn began. "We had no idea we'd be saying goodbye to some of our own. We were approached and they asked us to do a sort of farewell tribute song for our tributes from McKinley High."

"We thought long and hard about what to do, even before today," added Rachel, who had a microphone herself. "And though it was incredibly last-minute, we did come up with something."

And then there was another awkward pause. Everyone in New Directions looked at each other, nodded, and then promptly set down their microphones and started to file off the stage. There was nothing but confused whispering for a few moments until Finn finally picked his back up and started to talk again.

"But we can't go through with it. There's nothing we can do and sing right now that would adequately describe our feelings," he said.

"That's right," added Rachel, picking up another microphone. "Because… this isn't right."

"We know everything is ruled by the Gods and we're at their mercy. We don't dispute that at all," said Mercedes.

"But that doesn't mean we have to do you any favors," added Mike.

"You took away integral members of our group. We couldn't do a full performance now even if we wanted to," said Artie.

"So we're just gonna say this," said Santana. "We're going to get our tributes back. One way or another. We won't submit to you like this. We still have our pride."

"We've been bullied, beaten, slushed, and judged all our lives just because of who we are," said Blaine. "And the Gods are supposed to be our solace, our reprieve. Well… you haven't helped us."

"And now you're doing even worse by taking away people we care about. That is super not cool," Brittany added.

"So until you give us our friends and members back… we're not going to play along nicely. We're not singing for any Gods that would shamelessly hurt the people they're supposed to serve," said Rachel, her voice rising with each word until she was practically shouting hysterically.

There was silence. And, once again, all of New Directions threw their microphones down in disgust and left the stage, heading away from the school and into the crowd. They stopped only once to look back at Quinn, Puck, Tina, and Sam, giving them a nod and a sad wave, before continuing their walk away. Back in the center, the cameras were practically spinning in the air from confusion, and the reporters were clamoring the Peacekeepers and other officials for quotes and answers.

"Let's go. There's no exit we could possibly make that would outdo that," said Sue.

They got into the car and they drove away in silence. Nobody said a word. They were too busy dealing with the conflicting emotions of fear for themselves, for all their friends who had just defied the Gods, of sorrow at their losses, and of nervousness for the coming days of training ahead. But once they got to the airport, and began walking to the plane, Puck suddenly threw his arms around the others.

"Let's do this. We've got the best gift anyone could ask for. Our District basically just told the Gods to fuck off. We can't let them outdo us," said Puck.

"Yeah," said Sam. "No matter what, we're going to get through this. Hell, we'll win so fast that the Gods won't even know what hit them."

"I… I'll do my best," said Tina, gulping. "But… don't expect much."

"Hey, Mr. Schue said Puck had to stop being negative about himself… so do you," said Quinn, hugging Tina. "Let's do this for New Directions."

Sue, following a few paces behind them, smiled as she watched the tributes climb into the private jet they'd been given. Then she turned back towards the distant city of Lima, hoping that the actions of the rest of the damned Glee club hadn't marked them all for death as well. With a final, whispered prayer for their safety, she climbed into the aircraft and shut the door behind her.

**Author's Note:**

**This completes the introduction for District 11. Once the remaining introductions are uploaded for the remaining districts, I will finally be able to start writing the story of the actual games, starting with the introductory parade and interviews.**


End file.
